The present invention relates to furniture and more particularly to articles of furniture such as lounge chairs and the like having an adjustable back.
Chairs are a well known article of furniture and generally include a seat member and a back. Chairs are designed for comfort, and may have armrests, upholstery, springs, and are usually proportioned according to the size of the human body. However, because different people have different physical proportions, a chair of fixed dimension does not provide comfort for all body types. In particular, known furniture does not provide means to adjust the depth of the seat member as defined by the distance from a front edge to a rear edge proximate the back, which would be desirable where people with legs of different length use the chair, or in general to provide the user with a choice, to satisfy personal preference.
The present invention provides an article of furniture comprising an adjustable back which is held in place by at least one support member and a seat member, a first end portion of the support member and a second end portion of the support member being adapted for mounting to the seat member and to the back, each support member being invertible in a manner such that the back is held in either a first position or a second position wherein the back is held in the first position when the first end portion is mounted to the back and the second end portion is mounted to the seat member, and wherein the back is held in the second position when the first end portion is mounted to the seat member and the second end portion is mounted to the back, the effective depth of the seat member as defined by the distance from a front edge to a rear edge proximate the back being greatest when the back is in the second position.
By providing the choice of two positions and two depths, the present invention provides the user of such an article of furniture with a choice of sitting position. For example the article of furniture may be adjusted depending on the height of the person using it, or in general to suit personal preference. Further, the simple manner in which the depth is adjusted allows an article of furniture in accordance with the present invention to be made relatively cheaply.
Each support member includes two end portions and preferably a middle portion intermediate the end portions. The end portions are preferably at all angle to each other, the angle preferably being chosen to provide a comfortable reclining position. The angle is preferably greater than 100 degrees, and more preferably is greater than 130 degrees. The angle is preferably less than 180 degrees and more preferably less than 170 degrees. It will of course be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the optimum angle will vary depending on many factors, for example personal preference. In upholstered embodiments which include cushions, the optimum angle will depend on the extent of cushion filling.
The middle portion is preferably disposed such that the difference in depth between the first and second positions is dependent on the length of the middle portion and on the angle between the end portions.
Embodiments of the present invention may provide a single support member. In such embodiments anti-rotation means are preferably provided to prevent the back from rotating around the support member. The anti-rotation means may be effected by the use of a non circular cross section support member, for example a support member having a rectangular cross section. Alternatively, the anti-rotation means may be effected by a pin passing through a hole in the support member and into a corresponding recess, which for example may be located in the mount in or on the back and/or the mount in or on the seat member.
Preferred embodiments of the invention provide two support members, which are preferably equally spaced along the back.
In the article of furniture there is provided two or more support member mounts, the support member mount in or on the back and the support member mount in or on the seat each being adapted to removably accept either end of the support member. In one embodiment, each support member mount is provided by a recess to accept an end portion of the support member in a sliding fit. A clearance between the support member and an internal surface of the recess is preferably small compared to the cross sectional dimension of the support member in order to provide a close sliding fit. In embodiments where a single support member is used and the cross sectional shape of the support member is circular, it is desirable to provide anti-rotation means.
Embodiments of the invention may provide a stop on one or both of the end portions of the support member, such that the back is held substantially the same distance from the support member mount in or on the seat regardless of whether the back is in the first or second position. In such embodiments, the stop may be adapted to also act as an anti-rotation means.
Usually the article of furniture according to the invention will be upholstered.
The back and/or seat of the article of furniture may be sprung.
The support member may be fabricated by joining the individual portions. Alternatively the support member may be of unitary construction.
The article of furniture may be adapted to seat one person. Alternatively, the article of furniture may be produced to seat two or more people.